February 20 - Mary Garden; Nicola Antonio Manfroce (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 20th are here:  Carl Czerny (2020), Nancy Wilson (2021), Johann Peter Salomon; Adalbert Gyrowetz (2022), Charles-Auguste de Beriot (2023), Carl Czerny (2024), and Carl Czerny (2025)

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Mary Garden (20 February 1874 – 3 January 1967) was a Scottish-American lyric soprano with a substantial career in France and America in the first third of the 20th century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet Impression

When taking on the role of Melisande

Mary Garden had success beyond

What might have been reliably predicted

For any role so vocally restricted.

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Nicola Antonio Manfroce (20 February 1791 – 9 July 1813) was an Italian composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T.B. or not T.B.

Although already weakened by tuberculosis, Manfroce the young composer devoted himself intensely to completing Hecuba, to the detriment of his health. After the premiere, the opera was praised for its innovation and dramatic power, and audiences hailed Manfroce as one of the most gifted composers of his generation — adapted from Wikipedia.

Manfroce, gasping for each breath,

Was in a losing race with Death.

He finished Hecuba in time;

The critics thought the work sublime.

But after that acclaimed debut

Manfroce dies at twenty-two,

And that is why he's someone who

Is quite unknown to me and you.

 

 

 

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February 19 - Luigi Boccherini; György Kurtág (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 19th are here: Luigi Boccherini (2020), Adelina Patti (2021), Elfrida Andrée; Tobias Matthay (2022), Elfrida Andrée; Luigi Boccherini (2023), Luigi Boccherini (2024), and Felip Pedrell; Johann Adam Birkenstock (2025)

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Luigi Boccherini (19 February 1743 – 28 May 1805) was an Italian cellist and extremely prolific composer, mostly for his instrument.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speculation

He wrote a large amount of chamber music, including over one hundred string quintets, a dozen guitar quintets, nearly a hundred string quartets, and a number of string trios, and at least nineteen cello sonatas). His orchestral music includes around thirty symphonies and twelve cello concertos.  – adapted from Wikipedia

Did an elf or a genie

Assist Boccherini

To write all those pieces

That filled his valises

When he went to convince

Some noble or prince

To hire this fellow

So skilled on the cello?

 

 

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György Kurtág (b. 19 February 1926) is an important Hungarian composer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Observation

An audience was known to beef

That György Kurtág's pieces are so brief.

 

 

 

 

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February 18 -- Friedrich Christian Ruppe (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 18th are here: John Travolta (2020), Yoko Ono (2021), Johann Christian Heinrich Rinck (2022), Johann Christian Kittel (2023), Tom Jones (2024), and Pee Wee King (2025)

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Friedrich Christian Ruppe (18 February 1771 -- 4 August 1834) was a chamber musician at the court of Meininger. He was the much younger brother of the slightly better-known musician Christian Friedrich Ruppe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh Brothers!

This man obtained no earthly fame,

But I will treat him all the same,

And tell the story of his name.

His parents named their younger son,

Perhaps in spite, perhaps in fun,

With reference to the elder one.

And thus the younger brother nursed

Resentment that his life was cursed

To bear his sibling's name (reversed).

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.] 

 

February 17 - Henri Vieuxtemps (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 17th are here: Arcangelo Corelli (2020), Banjo Paterson (2021), Arcangelo Corelli (2022), Edward German (2023), Ed Sheeran (2024), and Margaret Truman; Friedrich Cerha (2026)

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Henri Vieuxtemps (17 February 1820 – 6 June 1881) was a Belgian composer and violinist.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Tones

Vieuxtemps is also known for owning and playing what is now referred to as the Vieuxtemps Guarneri del Gesù. – Wikipedia 

The reported 2012 purchase price of the "Vieuxtemps" violin exceeded $16m (£10.5m). – derived from Wikipedia, s.v. "Vieuxtemps Guarneri"

Henri Vieuxtemps owned a great violin

   That was made by Giuseppe Guarieri,

So it's safe to imagine, that to his chagrin,

The Questions and Answers would always begin:

   "So, is it expensive?"  – "Yes, very!"

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]